Cab driver speaks after preaching outside Portland bar

Daniel Svoboda said that when he saw an opening parking spot in front of Scandals, he saw it as a sign from God to preach to those inside. (KPTV)

PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -

A Portland cab driver says it was a sign from God that made him get out of his car and start preaching to a group outside a Portland gay bar.

It was 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Ty Raia was standing outside Scandals bar on Southwest Stark when a Portland cab pulled up to the curb. He says the driver got out, grabbed a bullhorn out of his trunk, and started preaching about the dangers of a homosexual lifestyle.

The man behind the bullhorn is Daniel Svoboda. He says he's been a street preacher for years and often carries a bullhorn in his cab so he can preach during down times.

He said that's what he did Tuesday night. Svoboda said he saw an open parking spot in front of Scandals in Downtown Portland, saying he saw it was a sign from God to do some street preaching.

"I know those people want out of that lifestyle, or some of them do anyways," Svoboda said. "I just wanted to preach that to them and let them know there is freedom in Christ, basically is what I told them, I stand by that and it is what I believe."

“'I know this is a hard lifestyle to come out of. We can help you. You don’t want to go to hell',” Raia recalled the cab driver saying. “So I mean it certainly wasn’t fire and brimstone, but it wasn’t something that makes you feel comfortable.”

The Portland Taxi Cab Company, who Svoboda was driving for at the time, says they don't refuse service to anyone. The manager added that Svoboda is currently not driving for them and that they are looking into the incident.

Svoboda told KPTV he wants to see the negativity towards the cab company stopped because they have nothing to do with his preaching.